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Post by kaidashade on Mar 26, 2015 18:55:00 GMT
"Maybe they did want me ta do that. But the great thing 'bout bein' a Rider is that how I solve the problem of you bein' dangerous is up ta me." He shrugged casually, the dragon withdrawing for a moment to come and poke his nose into the cave from the right way up. "'N' I know I'm a big scary-ass fucker 'n' it looks like I'd be spoilin' fer a fight, but I ain't too keen on killin' people unless I have ta do it. Don't think I have ta do it here."
He settled back, his coat draped around his legs to keep the warm in as he reached out to warm his hands on the fire. The dragon huffed, and Dynas cocked his head as if listening, then nodded. "Bane reckons we should go soon if you wanna come with us, but no rush if ya need time ta decide."
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Post by Behax on Mar 26, 2015 19:12:09 GMT
"You and me both then," Stark said, looking at his feet, as he drew his knees up to his chest. He had taken a life, it had been an accident, but that didn't stop it from weighing on his mind. As for the many people that has pursued or attacked him, he'd never killed anyone of, though some had died of their own accord. He usually tried to do little more than injure them, or distract them enough for him to escape. Though he knew if people continued to pursue him the way they did, eventually he would probably be forced to take another life. It would be better if it didn't come to that.
"What happens if I don't want to go with you?" He asked looking up from the floor. Since the point had already been made that he was dangerous, and Stark didn't actually need reminding of that. He really doubted this man and his dragon would really leave him be if he said no.
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Post by kaidashade on Mar 26, 2015 19:17:49 GMT
Ah. Now that was where they had a problem. Dragon and man exchanged wary glances, wondering just what he could say that didn't boil down to 'we'd have to kill you.' It wasn't good.
"Well... not gonna lie, I'd have ta bring ya in one way or another. I know y'ain't got much reason ta trust us 'cept that we're s'posed ta be the good guys, but I'd rather bring ya of yer own accord." He explained, fiddling with something in his pocket before pulling out a pouch of what turned out to be dried meat. Not particularly tasty, but not too bad either. He was trying to act casual, even if this wasn't the most comfortable of conversations.
His kill count was probably somewhere in the dozens, if not hundreds. He'd lost count somewhere in his twenties. Sometimes you didn't have a choice, sometimes in the heat of the moment you got carried away. He was a warrior as much as he was a peacekeeper, but that didn't mean he enjoyed taking that option.
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Post by Behax on Mar 26, 2015 19:38:05 GMT
The weary glances did not go unnoticed by start, it was enough to start getting him nervous all over again. A light pulse to the marks on his skin, and the temperature started to drop again. It was a subtle change, Stark would have to get a whole lot more upset or anxious before anything bad actually happened. He at least appreciated the honesty, though the idea of being taken forcibly anywhere was not appealing....That's assuming something worse didn't happen. He didn't really have a reason to say no, other than his own issues with trust. It wasn't exactly like he didn't want help, he didn't particularly enjoy having to travel constantly by himself. It was just safer that way...For everyone, including himself.
He was quite for a while, not saying anything. Thinking, weighing his options. Not that he felt he had many, if he said no there was likely to be an altercation....And he was no match for a dragon, especially one that breathed fire.
"Fine," he said eventually with a defeated sigh. "Take me to this healer of yours...If you really think they can help me."
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Post by kaidashade on Mar 26, 2015 19:46:03 GMT
Dynas stayed quiet, in silent conversation with his dragon. When Stark finally spoke, he lifted his head again and nodded. "He can definitely help. 'N' if he can't, there's probably someone among the Riders who can do a decent job a bindin' yer magic for ya." he said, then glanced round at a quiet rumble from the dragon, who was trying to get more of himself into the cave's mouth. "Bane says he don't wanna fly in a blizzard, 's too dangerous. So we should stay here fer the night 'til that dies down." He hesitated a moment. "I can uh... find my own cave if ya don't want me in here."
Might be a bit tricky, but they'd both survived worse weather on this trip.
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Post by Behax on Mar 26, 2015 20:12:33 GMT
Stark frowned...If this healer couldn't help him, how many more disappointments...How much more suffering would he have to go through before they found someone that could? Hardly an appealing factor. The slightest smile appeared in the corners of his lips, as the dragon tried to force itself into the shallow cave. "It's fine....But it will probably get cold," Stark said, he didn't usually sleep well an his powers were more unstable when he slept. "Then again, your friend there keeps trying to force his way in here, I'm not sure any of us will be leaving," he half joked, leaning back against the cave wall. He was exhausted, but he couldn't see himself falling asleep any time soon now, much too weary. Though sleep would claim him eventually, it was a matter of time. Still he pulled his cloak over him to keep himself warm.
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Post by kaidashade on Mar 26, 2015 20:24:07 GMT
"He says he knows what he's doin'." Dynas shrugged, and indeed the dragon had given up with space still visible around his massive neck. "At least he'll keep the wind out, 'n' dragons tend ta damp down magic around 'em anyway. Not too much unless yer really close, but it might help." Bane nodded his agreement as Dynas scooted over to lean himself against the wall nearer the fire, crossing his arms over his chest as though he intended to sleep there. It had been a long day, and he wanted Stark to relax around him. "Oh yeah, forgot. Name's Dynas, that's Bane." He said, jerking a thumb at the dragon, who puffed hot air at them both.
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Post by Behax on Mar 26, 2015 20:47:58 GMT
Caves were hardly the most comfortable places to sleep, but Stark at least was used to sleeping rough. He threw a bit more wood on the fire, enough so it might last most of the night, assuming his powers didn't snuff it out. If the dragon really could damp down his lose magic, maybe the fire would actually last for once. "Stark," he replied, mostly out of courtesy as he was sure if Dynas had come all the way out here looking for him, he actually knew who he was. The warm air was welcome, even by Stark. Though his body temperature was naturally lower than most, he could still feel the cold and he could still freeze to death. It wasn't like he was immune to the element that defined him.
Stark shifted, trying to get comfortable against the rock. Closing his eyes, though he didn't actually fall asleep for a long while. Mostly he sat their, and listened. It wasn't as if he suddenly trusted the other two or anything. Though he still fell asleep in the end. By the morning there were trails and webs of ice across the floor and walls around him, with Stark at their centre. Though the presence of Bane had actually helped it not spread too far. Even Stark's breath was making little clouds of icy vapour in the air.
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Post by kaidashade on Apr 3, 2015 15:00:07 GMT
Dynas didn't sleep well exactly, the creeping cold wriggling its way under his coat and into his skin and bones, but he did sleep. When he woke there were traces of frost on the tips of his hair, which he scrubbed away irritably when his dragon half-heartedly pointed them out, a lazy eye open and watching. His butt was cold, he informed his Rider, and he would very much like to get moving soon. He was also being sniffed by a wary animal that he kept having to flick his tail at to make it leave.
The Rider grumbled something in return and hauled himself to his feet with a groan of protest from his stiff joints. "Fuckin' hell, can't wait to get somewhere warmer." He muttered, not wanting to be too loud in case he woke their new companion. Poor kid looked like he could use the sleep, after so long running from everything and every one. Then again, he might appreciate a real bed even more, and the sooner they got back to civilisation... or at least, something resembling it, the sooner he could give him that.
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Post by Behax on Apr 3, 2015 16:15:15 GMT
It wasn't that long before Stark was showing signs of waking. Shifting under his cloak, and groaning probably from how sore his back felt. Considering that he was sometimes pursued, he'd gotten used to not sleeping late. He also wasn't a considerably heavy sleeper, even muttering was enough to get his attention. So he stirred, yawned, rubbed his face...And Blinked at Dynas, frowning for a moment before he remembered why the other was there.
"Morning," he said still sounding sleepy, and weary, before sitting up and stretching. His back clicked audibly, he could probably do with a soft bed just so there was less strain on his body body he slept. Once he was fully awake, though still weary of Dynas and his dragon, the temperature around them started to lift slightly.
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Post by kaidashade on Apr 3, 2015 20:37:34 GMT
The Rider acknowledged him with a nod, opened his mouth to reply, stifled a huge yawn with his hand, and then said "Mornin'. You got much ta pack, Bane wants ta get goin' while the weather's good fer flyin'."
The dragon backed up slightly, letting in a wisp of cooler air. Nowhere near as cold as it had been last night, but there were cracking sounds as ice and snow fell off of his hindquarters and wings and crashed to the ground. In the daylight he stood out stark and black against the white snow and pale blue sky, the early morning sun shining through the tiny holes that peppered the edges of his wings. He was as battered as his Rider, though it was a little more obvious on him since he didn't wear clothes.
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Post by Behax on Apr 4, 2015 21:20:54 GMT
"Not really," Stark replied standing up, after all he travelled around a lot it was best to be light. Especially if he had pursuers, hard to run an hide if you have a lot of stuff. He just carried what he needed, and usually hunted while on the go. He always tried not to kill anything big because he didn't like to be wasteful, as he never stayed in one place and couldn't carry a lot of meat with him.
The fire had gone out, so he kicked the ashes around a little. Habit to make it look less fresh. He didn't have anything to back away, just wrapped himself back up in his cloak, and slung his bag, bow and quiver of arrows around his back. "Ready when you are..." Though he wasn't sure how he felt about riding a dragon, sure it was probably exciting, but it was a long way down if you fell off.
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Post by kaidashade on Apr 5, 2015 22:33:57 GMT
Luckily, falling off a dragon was quite hard. Most of Dynas' stuff was still on Bane's saddle, and he merely grabbed his sword and slung it over his back before heading outside. Bane crouched in the snow, and the Rider waited for his newfound companion to come over so he could give him a boost onto the great beast's back. "He doesn't bite, promise. Once yer up, just make sure ya strap yer legs in so ya can't fall. Trust me, it's completely safe." Sure, that left him in the slightly more precarious seat further back between Bane's wings, but he didn't care. He'd had thirty years to learn his balance on a dragon, he could probably walk down his back in midair without falling off.
The saddle was designed for comfort, made of well-padded leather with all sorts of straps for various useful things. There were buckles that were clearly designed to wrap around a rider's legs to hold them on, and a strap with a clip on the end that looked like it attached to some sort of harness.
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Post by Behax on Apr 6, 2015 22:32:31 GMT
The look on Stark's face spoke for him, he was not in actual fact looking forward to this. Some people probably got excited by the prospect of riding a dragon, Stark was a bit more weary of being that high up. Sure he was currently standing on a mountain side, ass deep in snow (metaphorically,) But he wasn't anywhere near a sheer drop. He very reluctantly let Dynas boost him up onto the dragons back, once on the saddle the straps for the riders legs were easy enough to find....He wasn't sure he believed this was completely safe, he knew as he strapped himself in he didn't feel safe. Still he was probably too late to say no now, not to the flying anyway.
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Post by kaidashade on Apr 20, 2015 17:52:41 GMT
It was a pretty exciting thing, soaring through the sky on the back of an enormous firebreathing hell-lizard. Bane looked round at him, his big, blocky head surprisingly flexible on his stocky neck, and seemed to approve of how he'd secured himself because once Dynas had swung up behind him he rose to his feet and stretched his wings out. They seemed a little stiff from a night in the snow, and the membranes were pocked with tiny little scars and rents along the edges, but it didn't seem to bother him all that much. "You can hold on up front if it makes you feel a little better." The Rider remarked from behind him as he clipped a strap onto a ring in his coat. There was obviously a lot more to that thing than met the eye, and when he shifted a bit straps around his legs were visible. "You ain't gonna fall though. He won't let you. Bane could do a barrel roll 'n' ya wouldn't go anywhere." He assured him.
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